good words & happy {almost} weekend

image via pinterest

ben and i are taking off tonight for a long weekend in utah. 

we're so excited. 

family. sun. babies. bbq's. swimming. and most importantly, three.day.weekend. 

can't wait!

i hope everyone enjoys their time off.

have a safe, happy, sunny, and fun-filled memorial day weekend!

softball in the rain

ben is on the league softball team for his bank and they had their first game last night. 

i used to go to my dads church softball games all. the. time.

i remember having so much fun at those games. 

it was sunny, warm, and everything that a baseball game should consist of. 

however, this was not the case last night. 

don't get me wrong, it was a blast! 

i loved watching my man. i just happened to be wrapped in four blankets the whole time. 

oh, idaho. 

you can't tell, but my toes were blue. 

true love.

little ben. 

so awesome. 

raetay photography..

..pure talent.

my friend rachel and i headed out to rigby this weekend for a little photoshoot and it was

SO. MUCH. FUN.

you can check out her blog here..

seriously. if you live in the area and are in need of a photographer..she is your girl!

she's hysterical and so easy to work with. i'm wicked awkward when i get in front of a camera and she made the whole process so easy. 

here are a few from this weekend+some of rachels favorite engagement shoots.

told you she was good.

sunday walks to the park..

are. the. best.

i need advice!

ben and i want to invest in a nice camera. 

one that will last a looong time, and that will take pretty, pretty pictures. 

however, i know nothing about camera. nothing. 

but i am willing to learn! and i will. 

i might even take a few classes. 

here's the thing, we don't know what camera to get!

this is where all you photographers come in. 

we need all the advice we can get. 

(keep in mind i'm not wanting to start a business or anything. i'm not going to become a photographer.

i just want to document our lives with a nice camera that takes nice pictures)

the digital camera i got my junior year of high school just isn't cutting it anymore. 

SO....

canon or nikon?

or another brand i don't even know about?

hybrid or dslr?

is one more user friendly?

which one is easier to get used to? easier to learn how to use?

do i have to be super camera savvy to even purchase one of these?

i don't know what to do. any suggestions would be greatly appreciated:)

also, 

just for fun. 

i love this guy. 

and wish we could relive this day so bad. 

perfect:)

i'm a big kid now

did i really just apply for graduation?

i think yes. 

i can't believe that this...

was over four years ago. time FLIES.

as ecstatic as i am about graduating, i am also petrified. i have been a student since i was 5. the thought of not being a student anymore is causing some serious anxiety.
however, depending on where we end up, grad school is a possibility for me. 
i definitely would not mind ending up here. 

{princeton}

fact: my dad was accepted to princeton. but chose to keep things real on the west coast instead. crazy right?

i'm thinking they'll just let me take his place? 

nevermind the fact that 25 years have passed. 

lets be real, it's doubtful that i'll ever be roaming this beautiful campus.

but a girl can dream, right? 

graduation positives: 
-now that i am graduated ben can start his graduate school process which means we can end up ANYWHERE. and that makes me happy. 
-real degree=real job. no more campus job. (not that i don't love it)
-more freedom to travel and visit home. 
-more time with benny..hopefully?


regardless of being nervous about graduation, i am so excited. 
it should be an adventure:)


also...

newest addition. 

lily. 

we love her. 

happy tuesday!

what i'm loving wednesday

after a few days of rain the sun has decided to show its face!

and i could not be more pleased. 

 it's wednesday which means...2 more days till the weekend. 

this past monday ben and i were complaining about the typical monday blues. 
but then he proceeded to convince me that monday is truly the best day. 
why you ask?
because it is the furthest amount of time until the next monday. 

we have these types of profound conversations on a daily basis.

we then listened to the musical goddess that is adele while ben expressed his desire to be a backup singer for her.
it was just great.

number one thing i am loving today?

my mom. aka clare bear.

i know this is a little late.  
my mom is truly an amazing woman and i don't know what i would do without her. 
i wish everyday that i was in fresno so i could hang out with her. 24/7.
whether she likes it or not. she would have no choice in the matter.
she's beautiful, funny, intelligent, selfless and the perfect example of everything a mother should be. 
plus she is always there when i call with cooking questions. 

-paul mitchell awapuhi styling treatment oil.

it's like super skinny 2.0
i have fine hair so i can't use super skinny because it weighs my hair down. 
but this stuff is magic. so lightweight. it's perfect. new obsession.
plus it smells like heaven.

-the beatles
we went to a beatles concert last weekend (a group from england that impersonated the beatles) and they have rekindled my love for the beatles. 
primarily this song.

and this movie. 
seriously. so. good. 
it's kinda weird. it's the 60's and everyone is on drugs. but if you can get past that you will LOVE it. 
the music is amazing.
plus it reminds me of winter semester 08 when the weather was disgusting and taylor and i would lay in bed watching this movie and eating abba zabbas, strawberry ice cream and diet coke. it was awesome.



also the beautiful ali gave me a lovely blogger award. 
you can see my facts here.
if you haven't been over to ali's blog you should do so NOW.
ali is the prime example of that quote that says true friends are those that make it easy to live the gospel. 
i met her my first semester up here and secretly wish that she still lived in rexburg. 
you will love her blog. she's hysterical, her posts are always insightful, and she constantly looks like she just stepped out of an anthro catalogue. plus we share an affinity for squeezing our husbands bums. oh yeah, she just got MARRIED! i couldn't make it to her reception so please join me in checking her blog daily until she adds wedding pictures. peer pressure:)


happy wednesday!

"hey, it's ok..."

has anyone ever read that section of glamour entitled, "hey, it's ok if..."

the write things like...

"her, it's ok if you're taller than your boyfriend...and you still wear heels"

{and then insert a picture of nicole kidman and keith urban}

i always get a kick out of this article.

however, i have had far too many of these moments this week. 

so i compiled my own list.

-it's ok if you drive 45 minutes just to get a churro from sam's club. seriously thought about this one. then guilt found me. so i didn't go. but am i planning a trip to idaho falls solely around the fact that i want a churro? yes, yes i am.

-it's ok to google how to make scrambled eggs. true story. i don't really like my eggs scrambled, but i was making breakfast for ben before he left for work and realized that i legitimately did not know hot to make scrambled eggs. this may have been a low for me.

-hey, it's ok to drink two 44oz diet cokes in one day. well, it's actually not ok. but i did it anyways. i've fallen off the bandwagon.

-it's ok if your husband almost catches you practicing your princess wave in the bathroom mirror. no comment.

-it's ok to spend a full hour at work printing coupons after watching TLC's extreme couponing. i have no shame.  

-it's ok to jump at the chance to walk to the park and lay on the grass just because it's the first time the sun has shown it's face. nevermind the fact that it's still only 55 degrees and windy.

-it's ok to wear virtually the same outfit two days in a row. my reasoning? i have different classes on tuesdays and wednesdays. therefore i won't see the same people.   

welp. as you can tell it's been a great week.

seriously though, it really has. 

but ben and i are so ready for the weekend. 

happy friday!

 p.s. can someone teach me how to sew so i can make THIS?

 perfect way to spruce up an old cardigan. or a new one.